Eight days. A little more than one week. That’s all we have until it’s time to stuff the turkey, mash the sweet potatoes, whip up the pumpkin pie and prepare our hearts and our homes for Thanksgiving.
It’s true, gratitude is not reserved for just one day of the year. And yet, there’s something about this time of year that brings the practice of gratitude front and center. That’s why today I’ve decided to compile nine of my favorite inspirational quotes about thanksgiving — quotes that make us stop, think and start to appreciate more about the beautiful life we’ve been given.
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I love this quote because even though it’s not directly about thanksgiving, it’s about something that I am so incredibly grateful for — the perfect love of our heavenly Father. It is a love that goes beyond what we can ever comprehend. It is a love that drives out all fear (1 John 4:18). It is a love that knows no end (Pslam 36:5).
Charles Spurgeon once said “I think that is a better thing than thanksgiving: thanks-living. How is this to be done? By a general cheerfulness of manner, by an obedience to the command of Him by whose mercy we live, by a perpetual, constant delighting of ourselves in the Lord, and by a submission of our desires to His will.” Because I couldn’t fit all of that on a quote graphic, I paraphrased it here for an easier way to remember the essence of what Charles is saying: Let us be more than thanks givers. Let us be thanks livers!
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As followers of Jesus, we are called to be holy, righteous, honorable — set apart. Romans 12:2 teaches us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
When I look out at the world, I see a lot of entitlement and ungratefulness — myself included. Let’s be honest. It’s easier to complain than to give thanks. But what would happen instead of taking the easy route and feeling ungrateful, we were more intentional with our gratitude? What if, instead of conforming to cultural norms, our lives became an outpouring of thanks for all our Father has done for us? That’s a life that’s set apart. And that’s a noble cause I want to champion.
Ya’ll. We have been given grace upon grace, upon grace, upon grace in Jesus Christ. That is enough reason to give thanks every minute of every day, amen?!
Fear can lead to the death of many things. Hopes, dreams, relationships, joy, faith, and especially gratitude. We cannot have a grateful heart if our mind is consumed with worry over what we do not have. But here’s the good news: God wants to take all of those worries off of our shoulders. He wants us to run to Him and pray about every little thing that we may need (Philippians 4:6). Will you run to Him today, dear friend, and exchange your worry for genuine thanks?
Despite what is going on in the world around us, God always redeems, rebuilds and restores what’s been broken. His light conquers all and guess what? He’s given us the final victory through His Son Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 15:57)
These last two quotes are very near and dear to my heart. They are a constant reminder that gratitude is not a one and done action. It’s not a task to check off our daily to-do list. It’s a way of living. It’s a change of heart. It’s the result of a heart that’s been changed by the Gracious, Giving, One True God.
Which quote is your favorite from this list? Cast your vote in the comments section — I’d love to hear what you think!